FANTASY MISTAKES

Notes from the “WHOOPS” file
 By Brent

In honor of Daylight Savings Time we’re setting our clocks back to a time in which many of us wish we could revert back to: Draft Day. Let’s review some of the industry’s gaffes in projecting this year’s studs.

(Player, Projected Ranking, Current Rank) 10 Team standard leagues (through 8 weeks)

Cam Newton (205, 1) the biggest steal of the year and it’s not close.  Having Cam Newton on your team is the $20 bill you found in the pocket of your jeans. Not really sure how it got there, nor do you care because now you’re about to throw it out there and have a good time with it.

Kevin Kolb (85, 82) no one expected Kolb to jump in a redbird uniform and pick up where Kurt Warner left off but there was a lot of hype in fantasy circles surrounding Kolb and the potential of a high-powered offense.  Arizona even rewarded him with big money and a long contract before even stepping foot on the field. Chances are if you drafted Kolb with intentions of him being your starter you’ve already made other arrangements or have flat out given up on the season.

Chris Johnson (4, 117) picture those poor saps on draft day, licking their chops at the prospect of landing CJ2K in the middle of the 1^st round.  With preseason contract uncertainties, Johnson’s stock slipped a little teasing hopeful owners that they’ve got a steal in the making. Not so fast.  Johnson has only exceeded 100 yards once this year and has laughably gotten into the end zone once. By far the most disappointing fantasy “contributor” in recent memory.

Matt Forte (24,10) what the hell people? How did we miss this one? Forte was likely drafted after the likes of Peyton Hillis and Shonn Greene and has turned out a fantastic fantasy season thus far. Granted he’s had his ups and downs since his monster rookie year but we were all aware of his big-play ability and threats in the receiving game. Now, everything the Bears do runs through Forte and he is in store for a big time payday. Let’s all make a promise now to ourselves to not sleep on this beast for next year.

Fred Jackson (74, 7) he’s been described as a “serviceable” fantasy player. A term more boring than the thought of drafting Fred Jackson himself.  Fact is Freddy J has been producing for a few years now and is an absolute must-start in fantasy this year. With CJ Spiller being relegated to some weird hybrid receiver role, the job is all Jackson’s and will prove valuable for a competitive Bills team for the remainder of the season.

Roddy White (14, 74) how frustrating. If you got him, you’re starting him and nothing will change that, but damn Roddy! Throw us a bone for crying out loud.  He was the 1st WR off of the board in some drafts, an action that I thought was not only wise but commendable.  The arrival of Julio Jones showed Atlanta’s commitment to airing the ball out a bit more this year but it just seems the Falcons appear to be putting the “off” in offense. 

Steve Smith (95, 13) I bet Steve Smith himself didn’t see this coming.  A great example of how sometimes you just get lucky on draft day.  No one drafted the 32-year older based on “upside” and if you hear otherwise someone’s lying to you.  Drafters selected Smith because chances are he was sandwiched somewhere in between Lance Moore and Lee Evans and the selector was getting sick of drafting. With Cam Newton at the helm, Smith’s career has undergone resurgence and remains one of the more viable receiver starts in fantasy.